INTERRUPT

Interrupts are new actions that can be performed during other character’s turns. They usually require the character meet some sort of cost to do so: typically an expenditure of Willpower, Rage, or Gnosis.

WILLPOWER

• Mother and Cub A character may spend a willpower point to use an Interrupt to Dodge or Block an attack that targets a nearby ally that the character can see. The character must be aware of the attack. If the character misses the defense roll, the attack is resolved against him instead of his ally. A character may use Mother and Cub if he doesn’t have any actions left, but he is considered to automatically fail the defense roll.

A character can use Mother and Cub to dive tackle a friend to the ground when they are being shot at, to jump in front a sword or bullet, to parry a coup de grace, or even to pull someone to safety. If the defensive action seems implausible, the Storyteller may call for extra Willpower, Rage, and/or Gnosis to be spent: Parrying an attack while across the room would necessitate extra Rage to cross the distance, while parrying an attack in the Spirit World while the character is in the human realm would cost one point of Gnosis at the very least.

• Reject Determinism Any player can alter or create a limited part of a scene set by the storyteller. Minor, logical additions and changes can be done freely and as part of role-playing: If a character in a ballroom wants to swing from a chandelier to escape a squad of Pentex goons, she can do so even if the storyteller hasn’t described chandeliers in the room, because it makes sense and doesn’t impact the scene in a major way.

Creative exercises that transform the scene in a major way require the expenditure of either a point of Gnosis and a point of Willpower, or two points of Willpower: Deciding that the Creative Director of the institution sponsoring the ball is an old friend of one of the characters and wishes to catch up in a more private area while the off-duty cops who have been hired as security interrogate the Pentex goons is a major creative exercise and would incur a cost. Yes, this is meant to simulate the use of Fate Points in Fate and Destiny Points in Star Wars.

XP

XP should be given out at semi-regular intervals during the game. Please remind the Storyteller to do so when it is appropriate. This is important because xp can only be spent during gameplay. Players can spend xp at any time during the game to represent breakthroughs, epiphanies, and training that their characters experience. If a player wishes to purchase something with xp that seems unrelated to in-game events, then they must narrate a story to explain the purchase; other players can help to create the story and even have their own characters involved. The Storyteller cannot outright reject an xp expenditure, but he can reject a story and ask the players to come up with something more believable, interesting, or in depth.

TRAINING
Characters require a Trainer to get certain Abilities to 4 and 5 dots (this isn’t necessary for Attributes). The prospective world class PC must spend a considerable amount of time learning from someone who has the Trainer keyword for the Ability in question and at the rating desired. The Trainer NPC may or may not have the Ability at a World Class level: coaches rarely have the same level of ability as their athletes, but martial arts instructors and scholars are often better than their students. Even Trainers who are not themselves world class practitioners will usually have at one time possessed the Ability in question with at least 3 dots.

• Talents: Characters can train themselves in Talents up to 5 dots, but it’s much easier to have an instructor. In game terms, this means that a Trainer isn’t necessary for Talents, but it takes twice as long, costs one extra experience point, requires one temporary Willpower expenditure at the end of each week/month of training, and the character needs an extraordinary story of self-discovery.
• Skills: A Trainer is needed to raise Skills to 4 or 5 dots except in the most exceptional circumstances that probably won’t come up in gameplay.
• Knowledges: Characters must have a Trainer for 4 or 5 dot Knowledges. Knowledges represent the sum total of human information, something the characters cannot learn on their own. A Knowledge Trainer will possess the Ability in question with a minimum of the level they are capable of teaching to: a Trainer in 4 dot Enigmas will have Enigmas at 4 or 5 dots.

Totem and Fate backgrounds may be increased for 2 xp per dot.